ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Dr. Harsh Vardhan distributes masks and soaps with Indian Red Cross Society  at Old Delhi Railway Station
“We will soon be completing eleven months in our fight against COVID.Since then,our biggest weapon is mask and sanitizer.”
Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Chairman of Indian Red Cross Society  distributed masks and soaps at the Old Delhi Railway Station today.
Emphasizing on the importance of wearing Mask and washing of hands, Dr Vardhan said, “We will soon be completing eleven months in our fightagainst COVID. Since then, the most important principle to protect ourselves and others is to follow basic principles of hygiene and physical distancing. In fight against COVID, our biggest weapon is mask and sanitizer.”
Appreciating the fact that everybody present at the event is wearing mask, Dr Vardhan said, “This mask and soap distribution has a big message behind it. The aim is to spread the message. The government is trying to spread awareness among people through different channels and activities. Coolies, Taxi unions, three wheeler unions play a very important role in its implementation.”
Speaking on the COVID situation in India, Dr Vardhan highlighted the progress in COVID parameters . He said, “ India has one of the highest recovery rate in the whole world. From 1 lab in January 2020, we now have 2165 labs. More than a million people are being tested on a daily basis. We have completed 14 Crore cumulative tests today. This all shows the determination of government and relentless efforts of our corona warriors whose contribution is significant in fighting the pandemic.”
He further added, “Under the able guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India has become self reliant in production of masks, PPE kits, ventilators etc. More than 10 lakh PPE kits are being manufactured every day in India. And now, our scientists are instrumental in the research for the vaccine and it will be available on time.”
Dr Vardhan urged people to follow Do gaj ki doori. He said, “A small negligence or carelessness on our part may invite serious problems. Though we have one of the lowest fatality rate in the world, but even if one person succumbsto the disease, it is the biggest loss for their friends and family. This is my emotional appeal to all of you to spread the message to maximum people.”
Shri. R.K. Jain,Secretary General ,IRCS, Shri S C Jain, DRM, Delhi were present at the event.
Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister’s visit to Mayadevi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited the Mayadevi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal on May 16, 2022 as the first stop of his one-day visit to Lumbini. Prime Minister was accompanied by the Prime Minister of Nepal Rt. Hon'ble Sher Bahadur Deuba and his spouse Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba.
The Leaders paid their respects at the Marker Stone inside the temple premises, which pinpoints the exact birth spot of Lord Buddha. They attended the pooja conducted as per Buddhist rituals.
The two Prime Ministers also lit lamps near the Ashoka Pillar located adjacent to the temple. The pillar, which was erected by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BC, bears the first epigraphic evidence of Lumbini being the birthplace of Lord Buddha. Thereafter, the two Prime Ministers watered the Bodhi tree sapling from Bodh Gaya which was gifted by PM Modi to Lumbini in 2014 and also signed the temple's visitor’s book.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Promotion of FPOs
Government of India through Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium , a registered society under Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, is promoting FPOs by mobilizing the farmers and help them in register as companies and providing them with handholding support and training for their sustainability. So far, SFAC has helped 827 FPOs in registering as companies. In addition to above, under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihood Mission , Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, is promoting FPOs by mobilizing farmers. So far, 131 registered FPOs have been promoted under the Mission. Further, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development  is also promoting FPOs in the States and has so far promoted 4234 FPOs.
FPOs are provided assistance under various schemes of Government of India such as Venture Capital Assistance , Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture  and Agriculture Market Infrastructure Scheme . Additionally, SFAC and NABARD have facilitated training to Board of Directors and Chief Executives Officers of FPOs to enable them to function effectively.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM wishes people of Nagaland on Statehood Day
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wished the people of Nagaland on their Statehood day.
Prime Minister said, "Best wishes to my sisters and brothers of Nagaland on their Statehood Day. This state is known for its great culture. The people of Nagaland are compassionate and courageous. May Nagaland scale new heights of progress in the coming years."
Ministry of Defence
Raksha Rajya Mantri inaugurates DRDO conference on ‘Millets for Military Ration & Specific Nutritional Requirements’ in Mysuru
A two-day National Conference on ‘Millets for Military Ration and Specific Nutritional Requirements’ was inaugurated by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in Mysuru, Karnataka on September 29, 2023. The conference has been organised by Defence Food Research Laboratory , the Mysuru-based laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation .
The conference will deliberate on the scientific facts for the adoption of millets-based food for the Services, exploring millets for sustainable agro-processing practices at terrains of troop deployment; identifying and resolving the challenges in millet processing; preservation and storage for sustained nutritional & food security. The conference will also identify innovative ways to integrate millets into the diet of the Services for improved health & endurance and facilitate discussion on millets-based enterprises among research organisations, government agencies, policy makers & supply chain managers.
In his address, the Raksha Rajya Mantri stressed the importance of millets for health and stated that the DFRL is not only spreading awareness among the public, it is also working towards ensuring the supply of millets to the Armed Forces personnel to meet their nutritional requirements.
Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat appreciated the fact that the Services are looking to adopt millets in their ration and hoped that the conference will deliberate upon the nutritional aspects and implementation of millets and its products in Armed Forces rations.
Padma Shri Prof Khadar Valli Dudekula, known as the Millet Man of India, was present during the inaugural ceremony. He highlighted the importance of millets for the well-being of humanity and a disease-free life.
DG , DRDO spoke about the importance of the conference in line with the International Year of Millets and stated that awareness about millets life will further increase with this conference. ADG ST, Army HQ complimented the DFRL for organising the conference and spoke about the requirement of the use of millets in Army ration.
Major technical themes of the conference include Nutrition & Health benefits of millets; Millets in military ration issues, challenges, opportunities; Recent advances in millet processing & value-added products; Networking of supply chain management among stakeholders; and Policy interventions in the promotion of millets.
On the occasion, the Raksha Rajya Mantri also inaugurated the exhibition organised by DFRL, wherein 17 industries are participating. He also launched the first biodegradable water bottle in the country developed by DFRL. Various Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology were handed over to the industry by the DRDO Chairman in the presence of Shri Ajay Bhatt. The conference is being attended by the personnel of the Armed Forces, Paramilitary, DRDO scientists, academia and industry partners.
Election Commission
Maximum New Electors in Age-group of 18-19 Years in Murshidabad District, West Bengal
Kolkata, March 20, 2019
In West Bengal the total number of new electors in the age-group of 18-19 years in 2019 is 1168704. Out of this figure, the maximum number of electors of the said age-group is from Murshidabad district. Here, the number is 131768; out of which 67171 are male, 64571 are female and 26 are third gender category.
In this sphere, South 24 Parganas is in the second position, where 60022 are male, 45348 are female and 13 belong to third gender category.
North 24 Parganas in West Bengal Bengal is in the third position so far as the electors of the age-group of 18-19 years are concerned. Here, the total number is 94700, out of which 52578 are male, 42110 are female and 12 belong to third gender category.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Concept of Familial Forestry
Land for Life is an award programme of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification , which is conferred every two years. The Land for Life Award aims to provide global recognition to individuals and organizations whose work and initiatives have made a significant contribution to sustainable development through sustainable land management .Land for life Award 2021 was conferred to the Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India, by UNCCD on 17th June 2021.
Familial Forestry means caring for the tree as a family member so that the tree becomes a part of the family’s consciousness. This movement involved more than a million families from more than 15,000 villages of desert-prone northwest Rajasthan. About 2.5 million saplings have been planted in the past 15 years, with active participation of students and desert dwellers, as per UNCCD.
While conferring the award, UNCCD has stated that, Familial Forestry of Rajasthan, India is a unique concept that relates a tree with a family, making it a green "family member”. This green or eco socialization brings environmental sensitivity and empowerment.
The Government has various schemes relating to afforestation/plantation leading to combating desertification and land degradation depending on the climatic and geographical condition of that particular area including schemes of MOEFCC under Twenty Point Programme  like National Afforestation Programme , National Mission for a Green India  etc.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Finance
More than 22 crore MUDRA accounts avail Rs 12.35 lakh crore in 4 years
As per the extant guidelines, any individual who is otherwise eligible to take loan and has a business plan for non-farm income generating activities in sectors such as manufacturing, trading, services and activities allied to agriculture and whose credit need is up to Rs.10 lakh is eligible to avail credit under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana . This was stated by Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.
The Minister stated details of loans provided under the Scheme in the last four financial years as tabulated below:-
|
|
Financial Year
|
|
No. of A/Cs 
|
|
Sanctioned Amt. 
|
|
2017-18
|
|
4.81
|
|
2.54
|
|
2018-19
|
|
5.99
|
|
3.22
|
|
2019-20
|
|
6.22
|
|
3.37
|
|
2020-21
|
|
5.07
|
|
3.22
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
22.09
|
|
12.35
The Minister further stated that Ministry of Labour and Employment  has conducted a large sample survey at the national level to estimate employment generation under PMMY. As per the survey results, PMMY helped in generation of 1.12 crore net additional employment during a period of approximately 3 years . At an overall level, Shishu category of loan has about 66% of share among additional employment generated by establishments owned by MUDRA beneficiaries followed by Kishore  and Tarun  categories respectively. However, data on employment opportunities created under the PMMY Scheme is not Centrally maintained, the Minister added.
Giving more details, the Minister stated that as per data uploaded by Member Lending Institutions  on Mudra portal, as on 26.11.2021, number of PMMY loans extended across the country, including SC, ST, Minority and Women Entrepreneurs is as follows:-
|
|
|
|
No. of A/Cs 
|
|
General
|
|
15.71
|
|
SC
|
|
5.48
|
|
ST
|
|
1.83
|
|
OBC
|
|
9.1
|
|
All India Total
|
|
32.11
|
|
out of above
|
|
Minorities
|
|
3.46
|
|
Women entrepreneurs
|
|
21.74
Ministry of Corporate Affairs
CCI disposes off 1046 cases out of 1180 cases received under Sections 3 & 4 as on 28.02.2022
The Competition Commission of India  has received cases against companies  for alleged abuse of dominant position and anti-competitive practices. This was stated by Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Shri Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Giving more details, the Minster stated that cases received against companies  during the last three years including the present year are as under:-
|
|
Particulars
|
|
2018-19
|
|
2019-20
|
|
2020-21
|
|
2021-22|
|
Cases pending at beginning of
the year
|
|
210
|
|
188
|
|
155
|
|
140
|
|
Cases received during year
|
|
68
|
|
60
|
|
55
|
|
57
|
|
Total
|
|
278
|
|
248
|
|
210
|
|
197
|
|
Cases decided during the year
|
|
90
|
|
93
|
|
70
|
|
67Data as on 28.02.2022
As on 28.02.2022, the Minister stated, the CCI has received a total of 1180 cases under Sections 3 and 4 of the Act. Of these, 1046 cases have been disposed of and 04 cases have been quashed/ set aside by the Courts. Thus, 88.64% of the total cases filed so far stand disposed of.
The Minister stated that Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2002  prohibits abuse of dominant position by enterprises or their groups. E-commerce companies are covered within the ambit of the provisions of the Act.
The Minister further stated that the CCI has been undertaking various initiatives from time to time to ensure effective competition and fair play in the market. These, inter-alia, include:
- conducting market studies on relevant sectors
- undertaking competition assessment of Model Concession Agreements in the infrastructure and other public delivery sectors
- advocacy outreach initiatives including State Resource Person Schemes and conducting roadshows on competition laws & practices
- upgradation of IT infrastructure and increased use of technology in functioning
- opening of regional offices
- introduction of green channel for certain combination notifications
- collaboration with other international anti-trust authorities etc.
The CCI, the Minister stated, in the recent past had undertaken a “Market Study on E-Commerce in India” to better understand the functioning of e- commerce in India and its implications for markets and competition. The Report enumerates certain areas for self-regulation by the e-commerce platforms, which include:
- transparency in search ranking parameters
- clear and transparent policy on the actual and potential use of data collected by platforms
- adequate transparency over user review and rating mechanisms
- notification to business users regarding proposed revision in contract terms; and
- clear and transparent policies on discounts including discount rate and participation in discount schemes.
Ministry of Education
Salient features of PM-YUVA Scheme
Pradhan Mantri – Mentorships’s Scheme for Young writers  has been launched by the Ministry of Education on 29 May 2021 for young writers up to the age of 30 years. The salient features of the scheme are as follows:
- A contest was organized to select seventy-five young authors. The theme of the contest was ‘National Movement of India’ with ‘Unsung Heroes’, “Role of Unknown Places in Freedom Movement’ etc as focus areas.
- The contestants were asked to submit a manuscript of 5000 words to judge their suitability to develop as a proper book under the mentorship scheme.
- Proposals were invited in all twenty-two scheduled languages and English
- The selection was made by a committee constituted by National Book Trust .
- The results were announced on 25.12.2021.
- Mentors have been assigned to guide and develop the selected proposals into full-fledged books.
- A consolidated scholarship of Rs. 50,000 per month for a period of six months per author is to be paid under the mentorship scheme.
- 10% royalty to be paid by NBT on publication and sale of the books.
It has been decided that the books selected under the PM-YUVA Scheme are translated into different Indian languages to ensure the exchange of Indian culture and literature in order to promote `Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’.
The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM congratulates Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, Komalika Bari, Atanu Das and Abhishek Verma for their performances in Archery World Cup
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, Komalika Bari, Atanu Das and Abhishek Verma for their stupendous performances in Archery World Cup in Paris.
In a tweet, The Prime Minister said, "The last few days have witnessed stupendous performances by our archers at the World Cup. Congratulations to @ImDeepikaK, Ankita Bhakat, Komalika Bari, Atanu Das and @archer_abhishek for their success, which will inspire upcoming talent in this field."
PIB Headquarters
CANCELLATION OF SPECIAL TRAINS
The following special trains between Kochuveli – Karaikkal are cancelled due to poor patronage.
1. Train No.06044 Kochuveli – Karaikkal special train, scheduled to leave Kochuveli on 23.08.2017 and 30.08.2017.
2. Train No.06043 Karaikkal – Kochuveli special train, scheduled to leave Karaikkal on 24.08.2017 and 31.08.2017.
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Exponential rise in India’s testing; Cumulative tests cross 15 Cr
1 crore Tests conducted in the last 10 days
Less than 40,000 Daily New Cases since the last 11 days continuously
For the last Five days, less than 500 daily deaths recorded
India has crossed yet another landmark milestone in the fight against the global pandemic. The cumulative testing has crossed 15 Cr.
9,22,959 samples were tested in the last 24 hours which has increased India’s total cumulative tests to 15,07,59,726.
The past one crore tests were added in just 10 days. Comprehensive and widespread testing on a sustained basis has resulted in bringing down the positivity rate.
In another significant achievement, India has reported less than 40,000 new daily cases for eleven continuous days. In the last 24 hours, only 31,521 persons were found to be COVID positive in the country.
India also registered 37,725 new recoveries in the same duration which has led to a further contraction of the Active Caseload. India’s present active caseload of 3,72,293 consists of just 3.81% of India’s Total Positive Cases.
The total recovered cases have surpassed 92.5 lakh  today. The Recovery Rate has improved to 94.74%. The gap between Recovered cases and Active cases is steadily increasing and presently stands at 8,881,013.
77.30% of the new recovered cases is contributed by ten States/UTs.
Maharashtra saw 5,051 persons recovering from COVID. Kerala and Delhi reported 4,647 and 4,177 new recoveries, respectively.
Ten States/UTs have contributed 74.65% of the new cases.
Maharashtra reported 4,981 cases in the last 24 hours. Kerala recorded 4,875 new cases while West Bengal reported 2,956 daily cases yesterday.
77.67% of the 412 case fatalities that have been reported in the past 24 hours are from Ten States/UTs.
18.20% of new fatalities reported are from Maharashtra which reported 75 deaths. Delhi also saw a figure fatality count of 50 contributing another 12.13% of the fatalities.
The daily new deaths have been less than 500 from the last five days.
Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises
Setting UP New Units of MSMES
The Government of India simplified the process of registration of MSMEs by replacing the UdyogAadhaar Memorandum  with Udyam Registration  on1st July 2020. UR is free of cost, transparent, online, hassle free and is based on self-declaration. It does not require any documents and has an automatic integration with ITR and GSTIN. During the second wave of Covid -19 pandemic MSMEs continued to register on UR Portal.
MSMEs can avail the benefits of schemes such as Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme /Rural Employment Generation Programme /Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency  and the announcements made to provide relief to MSMEs from the problems faced due to COVID-19 pandemic. The number of Projects and Employment generation under PMEGP during 2020-21 as on July, 2021 are 91,054 and 7,28,432, respectively.
This information was given by Minister for Micro. Small and Medium Enterprises Shri Narayan Rane in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Defence
Defence Secretary inaugurates Artificial Intelligence & Programming Centre and administrative block in Sainik School, Jhunjhunu
Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar inaugurated Artificial Intelligence & Programming Centre and Manekshaw Block, Administrative Building during his visit to Sainik School, Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan on April 08, 2022. He also unveiled a life size statue of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw at the school. During his visit, the Defence Secretary was also briefed about the school layout and was showcased the drone aerial view of the school by the cadets of class IX and X respectively.
Addressing the students, Dr Ajay Kumar emphasised on never forgetting the three debts in one’s life i.e. towards the school, the family and most importantly towards the nation. He hoped that the cadets and the school will scale new heights of glory and set examples in the highest tradition of Sainik Schools in the years to come.
Established in 2018, this school is the 27th Sainik School in the country, being run under the aegis of Sainik Schools Society, Ministry of Defence.
SR/Savvy
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